Recent developments in mobile devices have made it possible for handheld mobile devices to subscribe to data and content delivery services. Such services may delivered over a cellular telecommunications network infrastructure supporting data, or over wireless data networks. A recent convergence in handheld mobile devices has led to multimode handheld mobile devices capable of both cellular telecommunications including data communications, and wireless data communications. These may be known as wireless data devices, smart phones, voice enabled personal digital assistants, among others.
Content may be streamed to mobile handheld devices in certain situations. For example, streaming content may include, but is not limited to: stock quotes, news headlines, telephony, Internet radio, audio, video, teleconferencing, video teleconferencing, web-based push to talk features, among others. “Streaming” may typically entail conveying streaming content in real time from a content source, for example a content server, to a destination, for example a mobile handheld device, where the content is consumed (displayed or played back) in real time.
Content may be streamed, for example, using a cellular telecommunications network infrastructure or a wireless data network infrastructure. Streaming content to handheld mobile devices using a cellular telecommunications network infrastructure may include conveying content from a content server, through public communications network infrastructure, then through a telecommunications carrier's network infrastructure wherein the user of the handheld device subscribes to general data services provided by the carrier, and ultimately to the handheld mobile device. In order to comply with service quality requirements of key services, carriers may control all other data traffic. A firewall may be employed by carriers between the public communications network infrastructure and the carrier's network infrastructure. The firewall is typically used to prevent abuse of carrier's network resources.
Streaming content to handheld mobile devices employing wireless data network infrastructure may involve conveying content from a content server, through public communications network infrastructure, then through an Internet service provider's network infrastructure, through a wireless access point wherein the operator of the wireless access point subscribes to general data services provided by the internet service provider, and ultimately to the handheld mobile device. A firewall may be employed between the public communications network infrastructure and the wireless access point. The firewall is typically used to prevent abuse of assets and resources downstream of the access point.
In some cases, the complex setup and configuration employed in streaming content overwhelms firewalls. This can degrade the performance of a device if the firewall prevents the streaming content from reaching the device